The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is advising that effective January 15, 2019, the Manufacturer’s Declaration Form (CFIA/ACIA 5280) will be discontinued. The CFIA will be issuing the Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786) if a certificate or trade document is required for the export of manufactured foods (products previously in the non-federally registered sector). This will only be available to licensed food businesses under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Visit My CFIA to apply for a licence.
The application for a Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786) for manufactured foods is available on-line through My CFIA. Applicants can also go to their local CFIA office as per existing export certification processes.
The CFIA will honour Manufacturer’s Declaration Forms that were notarized prior to January 15, 2019 for a period of thirty (30) days. This will give exporters time to apply for a licence and put in place a preventive control plan (PCP) and traceability controls in order to request a certificate of free sale from the CFIA.
The registered food sectors will still be required to go to their local CFIA office as per existing export certification processes until further notice.
For more information on the eligibility requirements and how exporters should apply for the Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786), please visit the Certificate of free sale.
In addition, the CFIA has prepared questions and answers available to explain the discontinuation of the Manufacturer’s Declaration Form (CFIA/ACIA 5280) and the transition to SFCR and the Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786).